### Sauber Bets on Young Talent: Gabriel Bortoleto to Join F1 Team in 2025

Sauber's team principal, Mattia Binotto, lauded Gabriel Bortoleto as a "fantastic and high-potential driver" during their first joint press conference held at the team's headquarters in Switzerland. The announcement followed Bortoleto's impressive career trajectory, which saw him clinch the F3 title in his debut year and emerge as a frontrunner in this year's F2 championship.

Bortoleto, a fresh addition to McLaren's driver development program last year, began making waves within the Formula 1 circles. He experienced F1 machinery for the first time earlier this year at the Red Bull Ring in a 2022-spec car. Despite a sluggish start to his F2 season, Bortoleto turned his performance around, catching Binotto's eye and ultimately earning the nod for the Sauber seat in 2025.

Binotto revealed that he first met Bortoleto a few weeks ago in Hinwil, where he was struck by the young driver's personality, attitude, and mindset. It was this initial impression, coupled with Bortoleto's on-track exploits, that accelerated Sauber's interest in signing the 20-year-old Brazilian.

"The way he is driving impressed me and more than that, his capacity to develop, improve, and progress through the season itself," Binotto said. This marked a significant factor in Binotto's decision to choose youth over experience for the race seat alongside Nico Hulkenberg in 2025.

Bortoleto's managerial ties with Fernando Alonso's driver management agency, A14, did little to influence this decision, according to Binotto. The Sauber boss stressed that it was the young driver's own merits that sealed the deal, not any persuasive arguments from Alonso.

Recently, F1 has witnessed a notable shift towards embracing young talent. This trend gained momentum after Ollie Bearman's sensational performance as a stand-in for Ferrari in Saudi Arabia. Following this, several teams, including Mercedes, Alpine, and Williams, opted to bring fresh faces into their rosters. Despite this broader trend, Binotto affirmed that Bortoleto's on-track skills and promising potential made the decision a "no-brainer" for Sauber.

Choosing Bortoleto also meant parting ways with Valtteri Bottas, who had been a strong contender for retaining the seat. Binotto acknowledged the difficulty of this decision, citing Bottas' performance, experience, and close relationship with the team. However, the long-term vision and the need to foster young talent led to the final choice of Bortoleto.

In bringing Bortoleto aboard, Sauber sets its sights on a future fueled by youthful energy and innovation. With a promising young driver now in their ranks, the team anticipates charting a new course in their journey towards becoming Audi's F1 team.